Up To 5 Inches Of Snow By Monday Night, Frigid Temps Through Thursday

CHICAGO (CBS) — With a winter storm expected to dump 3 to 5 inches of snow across the Chicago area by Monday afternoon, city and state officials have deployed hundreds of snow plows to keep highways and main roads clear for the morning commute.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory has been issued until noon Monday for most of northern Illinois and northwest Indiana.

CBS 2’s Megan Glaros reports the snow is expected to clear for most of the Chicago area by noon, but before that, up to 5 inches could accumulate in some areas.

The city of Chicago has deployed 211 snow plows across the city, focusing on the city’s arterial streets and Lake Shore Drive until the snow stops. After that, trucks will begin clearing side streets.

“DSS staff will continue to monitor the weather and ground conditions from the City’s Snow Command and deploy additional resources if needed,” the city’s Department of Streets and Sanitation said.

After the snow stops falling, winds could pick up across the Chicago area, causing snow to drift.

With snow falling since Sunday night, airlines at O’Hare and Midway airports had canceled dozens of flights on Monday; at least 43 flights were canceled at O’Hare International Airport, and at least 38 were canceled at Midway International Airport as of 7:25 a.m.

Temperatures were expected to remain below freezing through Thursday afternoon, with a high of around 25 on Monday and Tuesday, and around 22 on Wednesday. Flurries could continue through Tuesday afternoon, with minimal accumulation after Monday afternoon.

The weekend could bring an extended thaw, with temperatures hitting a high of about 40 on Friday, and then rising to the mid 40s on Saturday and up to 50 on Sunday.